High school football season continues Friday night with the second week of action, and FOX43 will be there as part of its High School Football Frenzy coverage.
In addition to our Game of the Week, we’ll have crews heading out to games across Central Pennsylvania to gather highlights.
There are 46 games on the docket in Central Pennsylvania this week.
Here are five we’re keeping an eye on:
FOX43 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FRENZY GAME OF THE WEEK
Dallastown (0-1) at Manheim Township (1-0)
Dallastown opened the season with a tough home loss, falling 24-19 to Hempfield. The key play came in the fourth quarter, with the Wildcats driving in the Hempfield red zone, down 17-13. The Black Knights hit Dallastown QB Jordan Cook on a keeper play, forcing the ball loose, and Riley Good scooped it up and raced 81 yards for a game-breaking defensive score.
Dallastown lost the game despite a solid performance from senior running back Nyzair Smith, the reigning York-Adams Offensive Player of the Year, who racked up 135 yards on 25 carries and scored on a 27-yard TD run in the second half.
Cook also scored on a 52-yard dash for the Wildcats.
Manheim Township, the defending L-L League Section 1 and District 3 Class 6A champion, opened its season with a 17-10 triumph at Central Dauphin East last Saturday. The Blue Streaks were outgained 239-213 in total yards, but scored a defensive touchdown on a 62-yard fumble return by Bryce Case and added a 16-yard TD strike from new starting quarterback Harrison Kirk to Ben Mann in the first half. Jack Rodenberger booted a 30-yard field goal for the Streaks, who led 17-3 at one point.
Jaden Floyd rushed for 109 yards on 14 carries for Township, who took advantage of eight CD East penalties and three turnovers to help offset their mild offensive struggles.
The Streaks are expected to contend again in Section 1, along with Warwick and Wilson. After this week’s matchup, they face Central Dauphin in their final non-league game. Township also has a league-mandated Section 1-2 crossover game with Cocalico coming up next month.
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH:
Central Dauphin (1-0) at Berks Catholic (1-0)
The Rams leaned heavily on their defense in last week’s season opener, forcing four turnovers — including a 47-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery for a touchdown — in their 23-7 victory over Wilson. CD forced the Bulldogs to punt four times and held them to 111 rushing yards on 23 attempts.
Wilson scored its only touchdown on a 96-yard kickoff return. Otherwise, the Bulldogs came up empty against CD, which got three sacks from Amir Walton. Defensive end Marques Holton scored the Rams’ defensive touchdown, scooping up a fumble from Wilson’s Troy Corson and taking it to the house.
CD’s offense did most of its damage on the ground, as the Rams attempted eight passes, completing three. Tyler Leisher (15-65, TD) and Adam Burkhart (15-54) led the way on the ground for CD, which generated 193 rushing yards.
Berks Catholic blasted Exeter 31-7 in its season opener, riding a spectacular effort from Wilson transfer Abdul MacFoy, who rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries in his first game with the Saints. He also had two touchdown runs nullified by penalties, according to reports from the game.
The Saints are ranked fourth in the state in Class 4A by Pennlive.com. They captured the District 3 Class 4A title last year and reached the state semifinals before bowing out to eventual state champ Erie Cathedral Prep, 42-24. BC’s defense was dented for 251 yards against Exeter, including 133 on the ground. The Saints did not allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter; last year, their first-team defense made it all the way to the middle of the season before it allowed a touchdown.
Cedar Cliff (1-0) at Cocalico (1-0)
Cocalico defeated Berks League foe Conrad Weiser in its season opener, rallying from a 13-0 halftime deficit to post a 21-13 victory last week in Denver. The Eagles showed resilience in victory, reeling off three unanswered touchdowns in the second half. Quarterback Noah Palm connected twice with fullback Garrett Longenecker for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, hooking up for scores of 73 and 16 yards.
The Eagles also held Conrad Weiser to just 14 total yards in the second half and outgained them 305-153 for the game.
Longenecker finished with a team-high 69 rushing yards in addition to his two TD catches and 89 receiving yards.
Cedar Cliff opened its season with an impressive 30-0 rout of Governor Mifflin. The Colts got a huge game out of quarterback Chris Dare, who threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-21 passing. His longest was an 87-yard bomb to Bobby Whalen that gave Cedar Cliff a 16-0 lead at halftime.
That was more than enough to beat the Mustangs, a ground-and-pound unit designed more to chew up the clock with methodical drives, not rally for shootout victories. And Mifflin was unable to generate much offense of any kind, finishing with 155 total yards. Cedar Cliff also forced three turnovers.
Whalen finished with three catches for 121 yards for the Colts, while Jahieim Reynolds (5-67, TD) and Dre Dorsey (3-24, TD) found the end zone as well.
In addition, Whalen threw a 17-yard TD strike to Dare on a trick play for the Colts, who racked up 410 total yards.
Jahieim Morris rushed for 101 yards on 23 carries to lead Cedar Cliff’s ground game.
Dover (0-1) at Elizabethtown (1-0)
Both of these teams were involved in shootouts in their season openers last week, but Dover came up on the short end of its matchup with Shippensburg, falling 35-28. The Eagles outgained Shippensburg 424-380 in total yards, but their defense was pounded for 353 yards on the ground. The Eagles allowed two 100-yard rushing performances in the loss, as Shipp’s Adam Houser racked up 164 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries and Alex Sharrow had 155 yards and two scores on just six attempts.
Compounding matters for Dover, the Eagles were penalized 11 times, gave away four interceptions, and fumbled the ball five times — though they managed to fall on all of them.
Justin Johnson completed 12 of 29 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns for Dover. Both scores went to Dallas Evans, who finished with 162 receiving yards. Brandon Lawyer cracked the 100-yard rushing mark for the Eagles, finishing with 102 yards and a TD on 20 attempts.
Elizabethtown opened its season last Saturday with a high-scoring duel with backyard rival Donegal, riding an epic performance from quarterback Cole Patrick. The senior second-year starter set a school single-game passing record with a whopping 415 yards and four touchdowns on 18-of-25 passing. Patrick connected with nine different receivers, with Dylan Sweger (4-142, TD) and Cole Livingston (2-100, TD) going over the century mark.
Livingston also cracked the 100-yard mark on the ground, with 109 yards and two scores on four carries as E-town, which made its debut under first-year coach Andy Breault, racked up a ridiculous 594 yards of total offense.
It’s not all great news for the Bears, though; they allowed Donegal to shred them for 442 yards, including 273 on the ground. E-town was also penalized nine times for 81 yards.
Newport (0-1) at Williams Valley (1-0)
The Tri-Valley League begins its first week of league play with a battle of two title contenders. Williams Valley opened the season with a 26-7 non-league win over Minersville last week, riding a balanced performance on offense and a solid defensive effort to subdue the Miners. The Vikings churned out 380 total yards, including 188 through the air, and built in insurmountable lead behind three TD tosses from quarterback Levi Engle. Two of Engle’s touchdown tosses went to his brother, Jesse, who hauled in a 34-yarder and a 52-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Jayden Cruz added a 62-yard TD reception and Nick Savage scored on a 2-yard run for Williams Valley, which led 26-0 before Minersville scored on a five-yard fumble return for a touchdown to avoid a shutout.
Williams Valley’s defense forced six turnovers — including five interceptions — and held the Miners to 222 total yards.
Newport was not as fortunate in its opener, as the Buffaloes were stampeded in a 59-33 loss to Steel-High. Newport managed to take an early 13-6 lead in the first quarter and tied the game at 20 in the second, but the Rollers reeled off 32 unanswered points to blow the game open.
The Buffaloes’ defense had no answer for Steel-High, which racked up 683 yards of offense, most of that generated by quarterback Nicari Williams and freshman standout Mekhi Flowers. Williams, a Harrisburg transfer, connected on 16 of 33 passes for 357 yards and five touchdowns — three of those going to Flowers, who had five catches for 142 yards in all. Three Roller rushers found the end zone as well, led by Nyles Jones (11-123, TD).
Newport got 108 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries from Ethan Rode and managed 311 total yards, but turned the ball over twice.
